And I Will Always Love You
by Cloud van Dyk
Summary: When Michiru is raped one fateful night, Haruka and she have to face some tough times, since Michiru blames her lover for what happened to her....FINISHED!! ^^v
1. The Attack

Author's Note: The following piece will be a real tear-jerker. It also has some adult themes, like rape, mental cruelty and light scenes of violence. So, you were warned.

Disclaimer: I do not own Haruka or Michiru, Naoko Takeuchi owns them.

Dedication: I dedicate this story to Sword Master Surpremia; she deserves it for her great fic "Michirus Grandmamma comes for a visit". Read it, people!

…And I Will Always Love You

Chapter 1: The Attack 

"Promise?" Michiru asked, earning a little smile from Haruka. "Yes, Michi. I promise that I won't come home late from track meeting." Michiru finally was satisfied and let go of Harukas hands, kissing her once more before the blonde got ready to leave. "Love you!" Haruka called out, already halfway out of the door. "Love you, too!" Michiru replied, smiling, and closed the door. She could hear how Haruka started her car and then drove off. Michiru let out a little sigh; here she was now, all alone in the apartment, with nothing to do. Checking her watch, Michiru decided to have a look at the TV program and walked into the living room. 

One hour later, the aqua haired woman had fallen asleep on the couch. She never heard how the two burglars who should change her entire life broke up the door, and she never heard them entering the room. She just woke up when all of a sudden a gloved hand was pressed over her mouth and a strong arm held her wrists tight. Michiru jerked up, screaming, but the man who covered her mouth just grinned, knowing that no one would hear her. "Shht, babe." The other one whispered. Michiru felt how he tore off her shirt, and she screamed again, louder this time. And again, no one heard her. The man who held her pressed her down on the couch, forcing her to lie on her back, while his companion stuffed a  piece of cloth into her mouth. The taller one of the two guys held the aqua haired woman's arms over her head in a firm grip while the other one tore her skirt and panties off, leaving her naked. Michiru heard how the smaller guy opened his belt and trousers, pulling them down. And then, he forced himself into her, causing her to let out a loud, pain-filled scream. "Shut up!" the taller one barked. Michiru let out a small, desperate sob, but this didn't stop the man from raping her. Instead, he started to thrust into her violently; to the aqua haired woman, it felt as if every single muscle in her abdomen was torn in two. Finally, after a seemingly endless time, her rapist was finished, his hot seamen splashing into the helpless woman's body. And then, the taller one of the two took advantage of Michiru.

When Haruka returned home from her track meeting, she was surprised to find the door open. _"Why's the door not locked? Did Michiru forget to close it after I left?" Frowning, the blonde entered the apartment, calling out for her lover. No answer. "Michiru?" Haruka yelled again, and again she received no answer. Her frown deepened while she walked into the kitchen to look for her lover. When she didn't find her there, she walked into the living room, and that was when she heard the sound of running water coming from the bath room. Checking her watch, Haruka frowned even deeper. She quickly made her way into the bathroom, but when she tried to open the door, she had to find out that it was locked. Now the blonde wasn't just irritated anymore, but downright worried. She softly knocked the door and called out: "Michiru? Are you in there?" "Go away." Came the soft, almost inaudible answer. "Are you okay?" Haruka asked, not caring about the fact that Michiru just had told her to leave. "I said, go away!" the aqua haired woman now spoke, louder this time. "Michiru, please open the door." Haruka begged, but the only answer she received was another "Go away!", this time, Michiru screamed. Haruka took a step back in surprise, but she refused to leave like her love told her. Instead, she knocked the door once more. "Please open the door." She repeated. Michiru didn't answer, and Haruka let out a sigh. Finally, she gave up and walked downstairs, into the living room. Sitting down on the couch, a weird stain caught the blonde's eye. She bent over to look at it closely, and gasped when she realized that it was blood. _


	2. Refection

Chapter 2: Rejection 

While Haruka discovered the blood stain in the living room, Michiru stood underneath the running hot water, tears streaming down her face. After the two men had finished raping her, they had left her on the couch, unable to move, crying and bleeding. The two burglars had taken all the money they had been able to find, as well as Michirus jewelry and Harukas expensive cuff links. Then they had left, without wasting a single look or word on Michiru. After a seemingly endless time, Michiru had managed to get to her feet, although the pain was nearly causing her to lose consciousness, and slowly had made her way into the bathroom, where she had climbed into the shower. All this had happened one hour ago; by now, the warm water slowly ran out, and the aqua haired woman knew that she had to stop cleaning herself soon. Michiru turned the water off and got out of the shower, still feeling dirty. She walked out of the bathroom, hoping that she wouldn't run into Haruka. Unfortunately, the blonde had heard how the water had stopped running and now waited at the stair way. "Michiru…" she started, only to be rewarded with an unfriendly "Leave me alone." Haruka, however, didn't think about giving up that fast. She stepped closer to Michiru, putting a gently hand on her shoulder. The aqua haired woman flinched and took a step back. "Michiru, what happened?" Haruka asked softly. Michiru looked away from her, down on the floor. "Nothing." She finally said. "Michiru, love, I see that something isn't right. Why don't you just tell me?" Haruka asked once more, slowly getting angry. Her anger turned into surprise when Michiru slapped her hand away. "I said it's nothing! Are you deaf, or what? Leave me alone!" the aqua haired woman yelled at the taller blonde, who now took a step back in pure surprise. "Michiru…Michiru, what…" Michiru roughly shoved Haruka aside, nearly causing her to fall down the stairs, and made her way into the bedroom. She quickly crawled under her covers, then remembered that Haruka would come, too. Michiru stood up again, walked over to the door and locked it. One minute later, Haruka tried to get in, only to find out that she couldn't open the door. "Michiru?" she spoke, her voice now shaking. "Michiru, please let me in." "Go away." Michiru whispered, leaning against the door. "Please, Haruka…just go away." "What did I do wrong?" Haruka now asked, hot tears stinging in her eyes. "At least tell me what I did wrong…" All of a sudden, the door flew open, and Michiru shouted at Haruka: "What you did wrong? You really want to know what you did wrong?" Haruka was taken aback, but still nodded. "You weren't there to protect me!" Michiru now yelled at her, tears streaming down her face. "You left me at home, alone, and when they raped me, you weren't here to protect me!" "Raped you?" Haruka repeated, her eyes widening with shock. "Who…when…." Not caring about what Haruka said, Michiru shouted at her: _"It's all your fault! Get out of my eyes, now!" Before Haruka was able to say anything, Michiru slammed the door close, locking it again. Slowly, hesitating, Haruka knocked once more. "Michiru…I don't know what happened, but…" The next words Michiru said cut into the blonde's heart like a glowing knife. "Go away. I don't want to have you near me anymore." "I'm sorry." Haruka now whispered, the tears finally running down her face. She waited for another ten minutes, and when the room behind the door stayed silent, the blonde turned and walked into the living room, preparing the couch for sleep._

The next morning, Haruka awoke with a sore back. She had barely slept last night; every time she had dozed off, Michirus words came up in her mind again, keeping her awake. When the blonde now walked into the kitchen to get some breakfast – although she wasn't really hungry – dark rings were underneath her eyes, and her hands were shaking. Michiru was already up, standing at the stove and cooking breakfast. "Morning." Haruka softly greeted, but she received no answer. Without saying any more, the blonde sat down at the table and poured herself a cup of coffee. Not really caring about the taste, the racer gulped it down and stood up to carry the now empty cup over to the sink. When she turned to move over, Michiru bumped into her, dropping her plate with ham and eggs in the process. "Can't you watch out?" the aqua haired woman snapped, causing Haruka to flinch. "I'm sorry." She softly spoke. Michiru just glared at her before she spoke: "Seems like it's not enough for you to have me raped, you also have to ruin everything I fix." Haruka looked at her, a hurt expression in her eyes. "Michiru…" "Just shut up!" Michiru barked before she pushed the blonde aside and walked out of the kitchen. Haruka stayed where she was for a moment, then she knelt down and started to clean the mess she had created, the food mixing with the tears that fell from her face.


	3. Meeting With The Inners

Chapter 3: Meeting With The Inners 

Haruka was still busy in the kitchen, cleaning up the ham and eggs Michiru had dropped, when her communicator beeped. Sighing, the blonde stopped her work and answered the call. Usagis face appeared on the small screen, grinning at her. "Hi Haruka-San!" Haruka forced a smile on her face – she didn't want the Inners to know that something was wrong – and replied: "Hi there. What's up?" "Oh, nothing special." Usagi replied, still grinning from ear to ear. "Rei holds a meeting in the temple, will Michiru and you come?" Haruka knew that, if she declined, Usagi would know that something was wrong and would bug her long enough to make her spill everything. So, she just agreed. "Yeah. We'll be there." "Okay! See you later, then!" Usagi chirped before she closed her communicator again, cutting the line in the process. Haruka closed hers, too, and walked over into the living room, where Michiru sat, staring off into distance. "Michiru?" the blonde spoke, causing her love to look at her. Haruka nearly shrank under the cold, almost hateful gaze, but somehow she found the strength to speak on. "Usagi just called over the communicator. She invited us to a meeting, in Reis temple." Michiru just nodded before she looked away again. Haruka stood in the doorway for a few minutes, unsure of what to do, before she spoke up again: "I cleaned the mess in the kitchen." "Good." Was the only reply. Haruka pointed over to the door, a helpless gesture. "I'll tell you when we'll leave, okay?" "Good." Michiru replied, not really listening to what Haruka said. The blonde slowly walked over to the couch and sat down next to her. "Michi, please…talk to me." "Leave me alone." Michiru answered, her voice as cold as ice, her words stinging in Harukas heart like glowing knifes. "Please." The blonde repeated hoarsely, fresh tears stinging in her eyes. Michiru knew that she was the only person who could make Haruka cry, but this didn't stop her. "I said leave me alone!" she now shouted. Haruka flinched and looked down to the floor while she spoke: "Michiru…if I had known what was going to happen, I would've stayed at home." "Yeah right. But you didn't stay! It's all your fault! If you would've been there to protect me, none of this would've happened! It's your fault! I hate you!" Michiru screamed at Haruka, who looked up at the last sentence, the tears now running down her cheeks. "Do you hear me?" Michiru repeated, her voice full of anger. "I hate you!" "I…I love you." Haruka replied, her voice cracking, not daring to look up into Michirus face. The only answer she received was a snort, and then Michiru walked past her, not bothering to waste a single look at the blonde. Haruka stayed where she was, buried her face in her hands and allowed to tears to fall.

All five Inners looked up when they heard the engine of Harukas car approach first, then fall silent when the blonde parked her car outside. Two minutes later, the door opened, and Haruka walked in. The Inners stared at her in shock, not believing what they saw. Their tall friend's face had a unhealthy pale color, there were dark rings underneath her eyes and her hands were shaking, as if the blonde was freezing. "Hello." Haruka greeted, her voice sounding awfully tired. Behind her, Michiru entered; she didn't look much better than her companion. She also greeted the Inner Senshi, in a not-so-friendly tone. "Hey." Makoto was the first one to speak. "Haruka, are you feeling well? You're not looking good." Haruka gave her a weak smile, not much more than a small raising of the corners of her mouth. "Don't worry. I'm fine." She sat down, and Michiru shocked the Inners again by taking a seat away from Haruka as far as possible. Haruka looked at her for a moment before she stared down at her hands again, but she didn't say anything. Luckily, all the Inners had enough tact – even Usagi – for not to ask. After a few moments of silence, Rei spoke up. "So…any news you want to spill?"

"…and I think we should…Haruka? Haruka!" The blonde jerked out of her trance-like state and stared at Minako wide eyed. "…yes?" she finally spoke. Minako looked at her, frowning. "Are you sure that you're feeling well?" Makoto asked, concern in her voice. Haruka just nodded, fearing that if she would open her mouth to speak, the tears would overtake. She continued to stare at her hands, Michirus words echoing in her mind over and over. _"I hate you. It's all your fault. I hate you I hate you I hate you your fault your fault…" The blonde was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice how Makoto and Ami looked at her, both with concerned, worried eyes._


	4. Makoto And Ami

Chapter 4: Makoto And Ami 

Finally, after everyone had agreed on the fact that no new enemies were threatening Earth, the meeting was officially over. As soon as Usagi had spoken the last goodbye, Michiru had already jumped up and left the temple. Haruka followed her, slowly, feeling the concerned looks of the inners burning into her back. During the whole meeting, the blonde hadn't spoken more than four words, and Michiru hadn't been really talkative either. As soon as the door had closed behind the couple, Makoto let out a heavy sigh. "Something is definitely not right." She then announced, earning nods from the others. "I'll go and talk to Haruka and Michiru." Ami suddenly spoke, and before anyone could reply, the blue haired genius had jumped to her feet and left the room – followed by Makoto, who was too worried about Haruka to just shrug it off. 

When Ami and Makoto came walking out of the temple, they immediately spotted Haruka and Michiru, who stood next to Harukas car. Both girls heard what Michiru was saying, and both of them were shocked. "I'll walk. For today, I spent enough time near you." "You…you can take the car if you want." Haruka replied, much to Makotos and Amis surprise, holding the car keys out to the smaller woman. "Pass." Michiru replied coldly, turned around on her heels and walked away. Haruka just stood where her love had left her, looking after the leaving Michiru. Makoto slowly walked up to the blonde and spoke: "Haruka?" The blonde turned around, facing Makoto, and the pain and sadness in her teal eyes shocked the brunette. Although the tears that were shimmering in Harukas eyes shocked her even more. "Dear God, Haruka…what happened?" Haruka quickly wiped her eyes out and mumbled: "Nothing." "Come on." Ami walked over to Haruka and Makoto and looked at the tall blonde. "I can tell that something isn't right." "I said it's nothing!" Haruka snapped, causing both Makoto and Ami to flinch. But none of the two wanted to give up so fast.  "Something happened to Michiru, right?" Makoto stated bluntly, earning a shocked look from Haruka. The shock on her face suddenly vanished; instead, her bottom lip started to quiver, and then a terrible noise emerged itself from her throat. When Ami and Makoto realized that this terrible sound actually was a sob, both of them fell silent. Harukas chest went up and down convulsive, and finally, tears ran down her cheeks. The blonde didn't want anyone to see her cry, and so she quickly turned her back on Ami and Makoto. The two Inners looked at each other, nodded, and Makoto stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Harukas shoulder. "Haruka…if you want to talk…" "Please…just leave me alone." Haruka whispered, her voice shaking with tears. Makoto stayed where she was; instead of living, she gently squeezed Harukas shoulder. Slowly, hesitating, the blonde turned around, facing Makoto and Ami. She saw the sympathy and concern that shone from her eyes, and that broke down her defense. Letting out another heavy sob, Haruka allowed Makoto to pull her into a gentle, comforting hug. The brunette led Haruka over to a near bench and made her sit down, taking a seat next to her while Ami sat down on the other side of the blonde. "What happened?" Ami gentle asked. Haruka avoided eye contact with her and Makoto while she answered: "Michiru…was raped." _"What?" Makoto cried out, shock in her eyes. Haruka nodded, but still didn't look up. "Yesterday night. She…she blames me now." Finally, the blonde looked up, facing Makoto, her eyes red from crying. "She said that she hates me." Were the last words Haruka managed to bring out before she broke down crying._

While Haruka had her talk with Ami and Makoto, Michiru walked home, deep in thought. In front of her inner eye, the terrible events of the last night repeated themselves over and over; she just couldn't stop them. Letting out a strangled sob, Michiru wiped her eyes out, the boardwalk in front of her becoming blurry. "Why?" she whispered to herself. "Why me? Oh God…" Deep inside, the aqua haired woman knew that it was wrong to blame Haruka and that she would break her heart if she didn't stop with her accusations, but every time she looked into her lover's eyes, the feeling of hate returned, and before she knew it, she had hurled another insult at Haruka. And then, Haruka would stammer some excuses before she would start to cry. All of a sudden, the yellow convertible sped past Michiru, causing her to jump. The license pate – Tenoh 1 – showed to whom the car belonged, and for one second Michiru wondered why Haruka didn't stop and ask her if she wanted to ride with her. Then she remembered what she had said and sighed. It was totally clear why Haruka didn't stop.


	5. Kicked Out

Chapter 5: Kicked Out 

„Michiru! Michiru, wait!" The aqua haired woman stopped walking when she heard Makotos voice, but didn't turn around. Two minutes later, Makoto appeared next to her, with Ami in tow. "Hello." The violinist softly greeted them, hoping that they wouldn't notice that she had been crying before. Ami gave her a smile before she put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We just talked to Haruka." The genius softly spoke. Michirus eyes went wide, and her voice shook when she asked: "What…what did she tell you?" Makoto looked directly into Michirus eyes when she replied: "Everything."

Haruka sat in the living room, watching TV, but not really caring about what she saw. Her eyes left the screen when she heard how the front door opened. "Haruka?" Michirus voice suddenly came. _"She'll talk to me!" Haruka thought to herself, overhearing the cold tone in her love's voice. She quickly hurried out of the living room, into the hallway, where Michiru stood waiting. "Yes…?" she spoke, not daring to sound too hopeful. Her eyes fell on the five Inner Senshi, who stood behind Michiru, all of them looking slightly uncomfortable. "How __dare you?" Michiru now hissed, earning a puzzled look from Haruka. "Michi, love, what…" she started, only to be interrupted by the violinist: "Don't call me that!" Haruka took a step back while Makoto let out a small wince. "Michiru…" Ami started, but Michiru shot her such an angered look that the genius fell silent again. The aqua haired woman turned back to look at Haruka, who now knew what was going to come. "You just had to do that, right?" Michiru hissed, angered. "You just had to run to the inners and tell them everything! Why did you do that?" Haruka stared down on the floor when she answered the question, not being able to look into Michirus hateful eyes. "I…I just had to talk to someone." The blonde finally spoke, her voice shaking with held back tears. The Inners exchanged worried glances, but no one of them interrupted Michiru. "Oh, you poor thing." Michiru now snarled, her voice as cold as ice. "Who was raped, Haruka? You or me? Answer me!" "…you." Haruka finally spoke, a single tear running down her cheek. "And who's fault was it?" Michiru suddenly shouted at Haruka, causing her and the Inners to flinch. "Mine." Haruka now whispered. Michiru didn't say anything more, and for a few minutes there was dreadful silence. "I want you to move out." Michiru finally spoke. Harukas head came up for a moment, allowing all the Inners to have a good look at her pain filled eyes, before she nodded. "Okay." Five gasps could be heard, but neither Haruka nor Michiru cared about the Inners right now. "Good." Michiru finally spoke, avoiding to look at Haruka all the time. "I'll leave now. When I come back in two hours, I want you to be gone." Haruka just nodded, Michiru turned around and left the house. _

"Haruka? Are you alright?" Usagi carefully asked. As soon as Michiru had left, Haruka had turned her back on the Inners, fists clenched, her whole body shaking. "Usagi, maybe we should…" Rei started, only to be interrupted by Minako, who suddenly rushed past the stunned fire Senshi and came to a stop in front of Haruka. Slowly, hesitating, the blonde Senshi of love moved closer to Haruka, until she was close enough to hug her. And that was exactly what she did. Minako pulled the silently crying wind Senshi into her arms, holding her close, stroking her back, soothing her. "Shht, Haruka. It's alright. Everything will be alright." Minako whispered into the taller woman's ear, showing surprising maturity. Finally, after a quite long time, Haruka returned the embrace, fully allowing the blonde love Senshi to comfort her. Slowly, one by one, the other Inner Senshi came walking up to the two, hugging Haruka one after another. They stood like that for a very long time.

Haruka threw the last suitcase into her car, closed the lid of the trunk and let out a heavy sigh. "Are you sure that you want to move in a hotel?" Makoto asked, probably for the hundredth time. Haruka gave her a weak smile and nodded. "Yes. Thanks for your offer, Makoto, but I think I…just need some time alone now." Makoto nodded, understanding. "If you ever need someone to talk", the brunette then spoke, "you know where I live." Haruka nodded again, patting the brunettes shoulder. "Take care of yourself, Makoto. And take care of Michiru." Makoto frowned at the blonde. "Don't talk as if you'll never come back." She then said. Haruka gave her another smile, and this time, it sent a cold shiver down Makotos spine. "Take care of Michiru. And tell her that I love her." The blonde spoke before she got into her car and started the engine. "Haruka…" Makoto spoke, a terrible suspicion suddenly rising insider her. „Haruka, wait!" Haruka didn't wait, but stepped on the gas pedal and drove off. _"I love you, Michiru. I'm sorry for everything…for the pain you had to go through…and for my unabilitly to protect you. I love you." Haruka hit the gas pedal harder, and when her car crashed against the solid brick wall, she could hear Makotos faint screaming, far, far away. And then, there was darkness. _


	6. What Would Have Been

Chapter 6: What Would Have Been 

When Michiru returned home two hours after her last, huge fight with Haruka, she already heard the phone ring while she still stood outside the apartment. "Crap!" the aqua haired woman cursed, quickly rammed her key into the lock, unlocked the door and hurried into the apartment, quickly picking up the receiver. "Hello?" "Hi, it's Makoto." Came the brunettes voice through the receiver. Michiru let out a sigh. "Hi Makoto. What…" She didn't finish her sentence. Makoto interrupted her, and her voice clearly showed that she was crying. "Michiru, Haruka tried to kill herself. She's in the hospital now…and they don't think she'll make it…" The tall thunder Senshi couldn't speak on, but started to sob. "No." Michiru whispered, her eyes widening with shock. "No, that can't be…I didn't want that to happen…I…" "It's all your fault!" Makoto now cried into the receiver, causing Michiru to flinch. "If Haruka dies, it's you fault! You just  had to treat her like a piece of shit, and why? Why did you do that to her? It wasn't her fault that you were raped!" Michiru didn't know what to say, and so Makoto talked on. "You did that to her because you wanted her to feel the pain you had to feel, right?" "No." Michiru finally whispered. "No, I…" The beeping of the phone cut her off. Makoto had hung up the receiver.

Michiru hung up the phone, hot tears burning in her eyes. "Was she right?" a female voice suddenly came from behind, causing the aqua haired woman to scream and jump. She whirled around, only to find herself staring at Setsuna. "Setsuna!" the violinist panted, her heart racing in her chest. "Hello, Michiru." The guardian of time now spoke, a small smile playing around her lips. Michiru leaned against the wall, closing her eyes for a second to force the tears back. "What you are doing is wrong, Michiru." Setsuna now spoke, causing Michiru to open her eyes and look at her again. "What do you mean?" she asked, although she exactly knew what Setsuna was talking about. "It's wrong to blame Haruka for what happened to you." Setsuna spoke on, her voice soft and gentle. "She wouldn't have been able to protect you if she would've stayed at home that night." "That's not true." Michiru whispered, fresh tears welling up in her eyes again. "She could've protected me…if she had been there…" Setsuna shook her head and reached out to take Michirus hand. "Let me show you." The guardian of time spoke. "Let me show you…what would have been." Michiru closed her eyes as a bright flash of light blinded her, and then she knew no more.

When Michiru finally was able to open her eyes again, she found herself in her own living room. Upon looking around, the aqua haired woman saw herself lying on the couch, while Haruka sat at the desk, writing something. "This is the evening you were raped…but this time, Haruka stayed at home." Setsuna informed her friend, who stood and watched. "Hey Michi." Haruka now spoke, looking up from the letter or list or whatever she wrote, smiling at the Michiru that laid on the couch. "Yes, love?" the aqua haired woman now asked, sitting upright while she spoke. "I'm getting myself a coke, you want one, too?" Michiru nodded, and Haruka stood up the get the drinks. She walked out into the hallway, and a weird noise caught her attention. The blonde turned to look at the door, and much to her surprise, it opened, revealing two men. One of them holding a gun. "No." Michiru whispered, until she felt Setsunas hand on her shoulder. "The fact that Haruka stayed at home changed this timeline. One of them now has a gun." "What the…" Haruka now spoke, and that was when the burglar pulled the trigger. The shot rang, and suddenly, Haruka fell to the floor, blood splashing from the wound in her neck. "No!" both Michirus screamed, the one in the living room jumping up and running out. The two men grabbed her, one of them throwing her down on the floor, next to the still conscious Haruka. "Now watch and learn, dyke." One of them whispered. "Stop it." Michiru spoke, hiding her face in Setsunas shoulder. "Please, stop it…" "They force Haruka to watch them raping you." Setsuna calmly spoke, while a racked sob shook Michirus body. "And now I'll show you what happens afterwards. It would be unnecessary cruelty to have you watch your own rape." Another flash of light, and this time, Michiru found herself in a hospital room, seeing herself again, talking to a doctor, standing next to a white bed. Haruka laid in it; a thick bandage was wrapped around her throat, and she was attached to several machines. Setsuna made a little gesture with her hand, and one second later Michiru found herself standing right next to herself. "I'm very sorry." The doctor now spoke, true sympathy on his face. "But there's no way to give Mrs. Tenoh her ability to move back." "Does that mean that she has to spend the rest of her life in bed?" The other Michiru asked, earning a nod from the doctor. "The bullet completely destroyed the nerves in her spine. We can't help her." The man now spoke. "Stop it." Michiru spoke, turning to look at Setsuna. "Please, stop it…" "As the doctor and your alter ego said, Haruka will spend the rest of her life in bed, eating through tubes and unable to move." Setsuna spoke, earning another sob from Michiru. "Do you now realize that what happened to you isn't Harukas fault?" the guardian of time asked. Michiru just nodded, her whole body shaking with sobs. "Go and see her in the hospital." Setsuna now gently spoke, stroking Michirus back while she talked. "She needs you now. And you should see a doctor yourself, too." Another blinding flash of light, and when Michiru was able to look around again, she found herself standing in the hallway of her apartment, next to the phone. Setsuna was nowhere to be seen. 


	7. At The Hospital

Chapter 7: At The Hospital

"Hey, Haruka. I don't know if you can hear me, but if you do…don't go. You have to stay here, we need you. How shall we defeat our enemies without the help of Uranus? And we all don't want to lose you. Even though Michiru blames you for what happened to her…we all know that it isn't your fault. Please, come back." Makoto stopped talking to Harukas motionless form when someone knocked the door. "Yes?" The brunette looked up, and her eyes widened when the door opened and revealed a tired looking Michiru, the aqua haired girls eyes red from crying. "Hi." The violinist now softly spoke, her eyes falling on Haruka. The blonde laid in the white bed, both legs and her right arm in a cast; a bandage was wrapped around her upper body, the white linen bloodstained at some places, and a ruff laid around her neck, keeping her from moving her head. "Michiru." Makoto said intelligently. The aqua haired girl slowly walked over to the bed and sat down next to Makoto, who held Harukas hand in hers. "What…what happened?" Michiru finally asked, her voice shaking. Makoto gave her a short glance before she replied: "After you…kicked her out…she drove her car against a wall at full speed. On purpose. She wanted to kill herself, Michiru." Michiru let out a strangled sob, burying her face in her hands. "What happened to her?" she finally dared to ask. Makoto let out a sigh before she started: "Both legs are  broken, her right arm and most of her ribs, too…the first two vertebras of her spine are hurt, that's why she's wearing that thing…and she suffered from internal injuries and bleedings…" "I never wanted this to happen." Michiru now whispered, the tears finally running down her face. "I never wanted her to…hurt herself…will she be alright again?" Makoto shrugged, on the verge of tears. "The doctor doesn't know…he said that Haruka was hurt very bad, and…" The brunette couldn't talk on. Instead, a racked sob shook her body. "I'm so sorry." Michiru now cried. "Haruka…I'm so sorry…don't go, please…don't go…" Burying her face in her hands once more, Michiru allowed Makoto to pull her into a comforting hug. The two girls sat next to Harukas bed, holding each other tight, comforting each other…for a very long time.

After almost one and a half hour, Makoto finally had left, leaving Michiru alone with Haruka. The aqua haired girl sat next to her love's bed, gently running one hand over her pale, cold cheek. "Haruka…can you hear me? I…just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry for everything I did to you. I know that it was wrong to blame you for what happened to me, and I…I don't want to lose you. Please, stay here with me…I need you so much, I…" Michiru stopped for a moment, took in a deep breath and finally spoke the magic words. "I love you, Haruka. Please don't go." And that was when Haruka opened her eyes.

"Hey." The blonde whispered, causing Michiru to jerk up and stare at her wide eyed. "Haruka!" she finally called out. "You are awake." Haruka gave her a weak smile. "I'd love to…look at you now…but this thing here won't allow that." She then whispered, her healthy arm pointing at the ruff that laid around her neck firmly. "That's okay." Michiru replied, fresh tears welling up in her eyes again. "I don't care about that…oh God, Haruka, I'm so sorry…" "Shht." Haruka replied, gently squeezing her love's hand. "Shht, it's alright." "No, it isn't." Michiru replied, crying heavily by now. "I treated you like a piece of shit…and you didn't fight back at all, you just beard with it…" "Because I love you." Haruka replied, her voice sounding even huskier than usual. "And I don't want to lose you…please, Michiru, forgive me…" "No." Michiru interrupted her, earning a shocked look. "No, Haruka." She softly spoke on. "Don't ask for my forgiveness. You…you have to forgive me." Haruka gave her another weak smile. "No, I don't have to forgive you. I should have stayed at home that night, and…" "No!" Michiru interrupted her, earning a questioning look. The aqua haired girl told Haruka about what Setsuna had shown to her, and when she had finished, both women were crying. "I'm so sorry." Michiru repeated over and over again. "I'm so sorry, Haruka…" "Shht." Haruka whispered, her healthy arm stroking over the aqua locks of her love. "Don't be…it's okay…it's okay." Michiru buried her face in Harukas shoulder, careful, since she didn't want to hurt her love, and held her until she fell asleep again. 


	8. Shocking News

Chapter 8: Shocking News

During the next days and weeks, Haruka recovered from the wounds that had been inflicted on her when she had driven her car against the wall, much to Michirus delight. The fact that the aqua haired girl had been planning to see a doctor totally had slipped both women's mind…until Michiru realized one morning that she hadn't had her period last month. 

"Love?" Harukas deep, husky voice tore Michiru out of her thoughts, and she looked at the blonde. "Yes?" "You alright? You seemed…pretty far away now." Haruka spoke while she sat upright, ignoring the small ache in her ribs. "Yeah…yeah, I'm okay." Michiru smiled at her lover, who smiled back. After the aqua haired girl had forgiven Haruka about the rape that hadn't been her fault at all, the invisible bond they had shared from the beginning on had formed between them again. Although Haruka and Michiru now where a happy couple again, Michiru still wasn't able to kiss her lover – or show any other physical way of affection than holding her hands and stroking her face. "Haruka…?" the aqua haired girl now spoke. "Yes, sweetie?" Haruka asked gently, smiling. Michiru took in a deep breath. "My period hasn't come yet." She then softly spoke. Haruka raised her eyebrows. "When was it supposed to come?" she then asked. "Ten days ago." Michiru replied, and her lover paled. "Do you think you are….pregnant?" The last word came out so soft that it was almost inaudible, and Michirus answer wasn't much louder either. "I don't know. Oh God, Haruka, what if…" "Shht." Haruka gently put her arms around her lover, who stiffened for a moment, but then relaxed again. "You should go and see a doctor." The blonde recommended while she ran one hand through the aqua colored locks. Michiru nodded before she spoke on: "And if I'm really pregnant? What will we do, then?" "We'll think about that as soon as you know more." Haruka promised before she let go of her girlfriend and laid back in her bed. Michiru gave her a small smile and rose from the chair. "I'll let you have your rest now and go to the doctor. I'll come back as soon as I know more, okay?" Haruka nodded, already halfway in dreamland. Michiru stroke her cheek once more before she left.

The doctor looked at Michiru, smiling, while the aqua haired girl was staring at the pregnancy test, waiting for it to show the result. She knew that, if the small stripe turned pink, she was pregnant, and that if turned blue, she wasn't. Michiru held her breath when slowly color appeared on the stripe. She nearly fainted when she saw that it was pink.

"Congratulations, Miss Kaioh. You are pregnant." The doctor smiled at her, but his smile vanished when he saw the expression of pure horror on his patient's face. "Miss Kaioh?" he spoke, a worried tone in his voice. The elderly man was shocked when Michiru suddenly started to cry. "No…oh God, no…" the aqua haired girl whispered while her shoulders shook and sobs racked her body. The doctor, who wasn't used to crying women, gave her a helpless look. "Miss Kaioh…" he spoke once more, as if the constant repeating of Michirus last name would make things better. All of a sudden, Michiru jumped up from the chair. "I have to go to Haruka." She blurted out. Before the doctor could react, Michiru had grabbed the pregnancy test and ran out of the room. 

Haruka laid in her hospital bed, her eyes closed, dozing a little. Her lids opened pretty fast when the door flew open and a crying Michiru came storming in. "Michiru!" Haruka sat up in her bed, not caring about the facts that her blanket fell to the floor and that her still not completely healed ribs protested with a sharp sting of pain. They protested even more when Michiru flung herself into the arms of her lover. Haruka stifled a painful groan, since she didn't want to upset her girlfriend even more, and gently put both arms around her. "Michi, love, what happened?" "I am." Michiru sobbed. Haruka frowned. "You are what?" "Pregnant!" Michiru cried out, looking up at the blonde with an expression of deep pain in her eyes. Harukas eyes went wide. "Pregnant?" she repeated, shocked. Michiru just sobbed and buried her face in Harukas chest, who held her tight. "Pregnant." The blonde now mumbled, her shock slowly fading away, leaving two feelings behind: love for Michiru, and deep hate for the two men who had done this to her lover. "You have to abort it." The blonde finally spoke. Michiru looked up at her again, shocked. "No way!" she protested. "I'm not going to murder the baby!" Haruka frowned. "It's not even a baby yet! Just a cell." She protested, but Michiru shook her head. "No. I won't abort it." "But Michiru…." Haruka started, only to receive a death glare from her lover. It reminded her painfully of the time when Michiru had blamed her for the rape, and she fell silent. "Haruka." Michiru now softly spoke, avoiding her lovers eyes. "Please, understand…I can't abort the baby. I just _can't. It's…a part of me." "But it's the child of a rapist." Haruka replied, feeling Michiru stiffen at the last word. "Do you think I don't know that?" the aqua haired girl snapped. "Sorry." Haruka apologized before letting out a sigh. "But Michiru…do you think that you'll be able to love the baby?" Michiru let out a small sigh and closed her eyes. "I don't know, Haruka. Honestly, I don't. But…if not…I'll make sure that the baby will find a home with people who will love it." Haruka closed her eyes for a second before she spoke: "Okay. If you want to keep the baby so badly…I'll support you in every way I can." "Thanks." Michiru whispered, leaning against her lover's chest once more. "You have no idea how much this means to me, Haruka." Haruka held her tight and stroke her back, but inside, she was wondering if she had made the right decision. _


	9. Pregnancy

Chapter 9: Pregnancy

Finally, after two more weeks, Haruka was released from the hospital. She had almost fully recovered from the accident; the only permanent damage she had gained was a number of scars on her upper body, where splinters of the front shield had dug themselves into her flesh. Michiru of course picked her up the day she was allowed to leave; when Haruka came walking down the stairs, her eyes nearly fell out. "My car!" the blonde yelped, happiness in her voice. Michiru smiled at her and held the car keys out. "I had it repaired after my first visit in the hospital." She informed her lover, who beamed and snatched the keys from her. Pushing a little button on the key, the doors unlocked with a small beeping sound, and Haruka let out a sigh of happiness when she got into the car. Michiru climbed in, taking the passenger's seat, and Haruka started the car after both women had put their seatbelts on. (A/N: Remember, kiddies, always wear your seatbelt. Mine saved my life about a month ago, it kept me from flying straight through the window of my roadster.) The blonde stepped on the gas pedal immediately, speeding off towards home.

"Ooooh crap…" Michiru moaned, lying in her bed. She now was in the eight month of pregnancy; her tummy was all big and round, and she just couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep in. The aqua haired girl raised her head and blinked into the light that suddenly fell through the opening bedroom door. Harukas silhouette appeared in the doorframe, and the blonde entered the room. "Hey." Haruka softly spoke, sitting down next to her lover. "Are you feeling well?" "No." Michiru sniffled, one of her mood swings taking place. Soon, tears were running down the delicate woman's cheeks, and she sobbed. "Ruka, I don't know how to lie." Haruka gave her a soothing smile and gently ran one hand down her girlfriend's cheek. Since almost five months, the blonde was allowed to touch her lover in an intimate way again; although Michiru had feared that Haruka soon would be fed up with her if she couldn't make love to her, the blonde had stayed faithful to her lover and had patiently waited until Michiru was ready again. Now, the blonde leaned over, gently planting a kiss on her lover's cheek. "Let me make you comfortable." She whispered, and Michiru nodded. Slowly, Haruka climbed into the bed and wrapped her arms around the smaller Michiru, the aqua haired girls head coming to a rest on her shoulder. "Better?" Haruka softly asked, and Michiru nodded, closing her eyes. The blonde gently ran her hands through Michirus long hair, smiling when her lover finally fell asleep. 

The next morning, Michiru awoke to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and ham and eggs. Sighing, the aqua haired girl closed her eyes and sniffed the air, enjoying what she smelled…until her daily wave of morning nausea hit her. Groaning, Michiru climbed out of the bed as fast as possible and hurried into the bathroom. To get there, she had to pass the kitchen door, and so it happened that Haruka saw her running. "Michiru?" the blonde called out, already knowing what was going to happen. She followed her lover, determined to make it a little easier for her. Haruka arrived in the bathroom just in time to see Michiru kneeling over the toilet, getting rid of everything that was in her stomach. Haruka knelt down next to her lover, gently stroking her shaking back. "Shht." The blonde whispered, trying to soothe her girlfriend. Michiru let out a small moan and leaned back, ending up with her back against Harukas chest and stomach. "I hate this." She stated, closing her eyes. Haruka embraced her from behind and placed a gentle kiss on her neck. "It'll be over soon, Love." She whispered. Michiru just sighed and opened her eyes again. "Hopefully." She then mumbled. "Throwing up each morning starts to get on my nerves." Haruka chuckled at that dry remark, and the two women rose from the floor. All of a sudden, Michiru let out a pain filled yelp, stumbling backwards, right into Harukas waiting arms. "Michiru!" the blonde called out, shocked. "What happened?" "The baby…" Michiru moaned, sweat breaking out on her brow. "I think it's coming…ooow!" She yelped when another wave of pain rain through her. "But it's three weeks to early!" Haruka panicked. "Tell that to the baby!" Michiru managed to say during gritted teeth. That gave Haruka the necessary push, and she quickly picked her lover up. "What are you doing?" Michiru cried out, in obvious pain. "Getting you into the hospital." Haruka replied shortly, already on her way out. Michiru just nodded, her head sinking against her lovers shoulder. "Please hurry, Haruka." She whispered, another wave of pain flooding through her. "Please hurry up…"


	10. Giving Birth

Chapter 10:  Giving Birth

Haruka sped down the street as fast as possible, at times only avoiding a bad accident in the last second. She thanked all the Gods in Heaven that Michiru was too busy to notice her lover's driving style while she drove her car to the nearest hospital – which was still twenty minutes away. Michiru rested on the laid-back passenger's seat, her eyes closed, her breath coming in rasped, pain filled gasps. Every time another wave of pain flooded through her, she let out a small whimper through gritted teeth, and Haruka mumbled soothing words to her, hoping that she could help her girlfriend with that a little. The blondes concern turned into pure wonder and surprise when Michirus eyes suddenly went wide. "Michiru...? What..." the blonde started, but Michiru interrupted her. "Setsuna?" the aqua haired girl whispered, and Haruka stared in the rear view mirror, already expecting that the mysterious senshi of time had popped out of nowhere and had materialised in her backseat. The mirror only showed the empty backseat. "Michiru, Setsuna isn't here." Haruka spoke, her slight worry turning into something bigger. Was her lover already having hallucinations? "Setsuna." Michiru mumbled again, this time with happiness in her voice. And then, all of a sudden, a bright, white light filled the car, causing Haruka to yelp in surprise at the sudden loss of her eyesight. The blonde  pulled the steering wheel sharply to the right and jumped at the brake in the same time, silently thanking the Gods – again – that she had thought about putting her seatbelt on in spite of the stress she had been in. The car came to a halt with screeching tires, and Haruka leaned her forehead against the steering wheel, panting. Her eyes had been squeezed shut during her stunt-like stop, and now as she opened them again, she had to find out – to her horror – that she couldn't see anything. For one terrible second, the blonde thought that she had gone completely blind, thanks to the mysterious light, and already had visions of herself kissing her racer career goodbye. Squeezing her eyes shut once more, the blonde took a deep breath before she dared to open her eyelids again. The steering wheel stared back at her, pretty blurred, but she could see it. "Thank God." Haruka sighed before she remembered Michiru again, fear for her partner flooding through her like liquid fire. Turning her head, the blonde saw Michiru lying on the seat, smiling, staring off into nothingness. "Michiru?" Haruka carefully spoke, afraid that her lover had snapped and gone to LaLa-Land or something similar. "She won't look like him." Michiru suddenly said, causing the blonde to flinch and to give a very intelligent reply: "Huh?" "Our daughter." Michiru informed her blonde lover, finally looking at her again. The distant gaze that had been in her eyes had vanished, only to be replaced with joy and love – for both, for Haruka and for their yet unborn baby. Haruka still didn't have a clue what Michiru was talking about, and so her eyebrows went up. Michiru gave her a warm smile and finally cared to explain herself: "Setsuna was here, Love. She did something to my baby...to our baby....and told me that it now would look as if it _was ours. As if you were the father. It's looks will resemble both of us...and not the rapist." Haruka smiled back at her lover, sudden belief in her heart. Michiru hadn't been hallucinating this. Harukas smile vanished when she thought about the light that had blinded her for some terrible moments. "Hey, Setsuna!" she spoke into the air, "the next time you do something to our baby...cease the darn light." As soon as the last word had faded, Haruka started her car again and drove on. She could've sworn that she heard Setsunas laughter in the distance on the way to the hospital. _

"I'm sorry, Mister Tenoh, but you can't go in there now." "Oh_ come on!" Haruka cried out, staring at the nurse in a pretty frustrated way. "This is my girlfriend in there, giving birth to our baby, and you say that I can't go in?!" "I'm sorry." The nurse apologised. "But the rules say that you are not allowed to enter the room, unless you are a close relative of the patient." Haruka rolled her eyes in frustration. "Well, just to inform you...I'm the father of that baby!! Does that make me close enough?" "You won't give in anyway, won't you?" the nurse scowled. Haruka nodded proudly, already one hundred percent sure that she had pursued the nurse into letting her in. "Well then, go inside. But use one of those masks", the nurse shoved an ugly green paper mask into Harukas hands, "this cap", a similar ugly green cap followed, "and this gown." The last item the nurse handed to the stunned blonde was a long, ugly green thing that looked like night gown – one that maybe a hippo would wear. Haruka sighed and put on the various objects before she was allowed to enter the room. She was greeted by an ear-piercing scream from her lover, and as fast as lightning the blonde stood next to the stressed doctor. "What are you doing to her?!" she demanded to know, and the man glared at her. "Giving birth to a baby hurts. And what are you doing here anyway?" he replied. Haruka felt the sudden childish urge to poke her tongue out at the man, but then remembered that he wouldn't see it anyway thanks to the mask, and replied: "I'm the father. Of the baby, I mean, not of Michiru." "Haruka..." Michiru now moaned, recognising her lover's presence in the room. Haruka made a beeline for the bed Michiru led in, her legs spread wide apart and held in the air by two metal rings. "You have to press, Miss Kaioh." The doctor now said while he almost stuck his nose between Michirus legs. Haruka felt an irrational pang of jealousy, since the doctor was looking at an area where only __she should have her eyes, but quickly thought this feeling down and took Michirus hand instead. "I know that I'm supposed to press!" Michiru snapped at the doctor, sweat running down her face. "Do you have a clue how much that __hurts?" "Honey, I don't think that he has." Haruka tried to calm her down, only to be rewarded with a snap towards her: "Shut it!" the blonde quickly fell silent while Michiru pressed again, more pain flooding through her. And then, after a seemingly endless time, the doctor called out: "It's coming! The head is already out!" "Thank God." Michiru and Haruka both whispered – Michiru because she didn't think that she could stand the pain much longer and Haruka because her fingers hurt from Michiru squeezing them in her pain. "One more push, and you did it!" the blonde encouraged her lover, who gathered all the strength she had left. And finally, the couple plus the doctor were rewarded with the screaming of a healthy baby. "You have a girl." The doctor announced proudly while one of the nurses hurried away to wash the baby off. One minute later, the woman returned, gently laying the baby girl into Michirus waiting arms. The aqua haired girl gave her beaming lover an exhausted smile and was rewarded with a kiss. "I love you." Haruka whispered into her ear before her eyes fell on the small baby again, full of love and joy. This moment, Michiru knew that Haruka not only accepted the baby, but loved it as if it was her own. _


	11. Family

Epilogue: Family

Two hours later, Michiru laid in a hospital bed, still completely exhausted. Haruka sat next to her, awing and gushing at their little daughter, who laid in Michirus arms, sleeping peacefully. "You'd think that she's fully awake now, seeing that she almost slept nine months through." Haruka mumbled while she gently ran one finger over the blonde hair that covered the baby's head. It was obvious that the little girl had inherited Harukas hair, and as far as the blonde could tell, she had Michirus eyes. Michiru gave her a tired smile. "But Haruka, Love, babies don't sleep all the nine months. You should know, after all, you felt her kick." Haruka laughed at the memory Michiru awoke with her statement; the day the little baby had kicked it's mommy the first time, Haruka had thought that Michiru suddenly felt terrible pain, since she went stiff all of a sudden. When Haruka concerned had asked her girlfriend if there was something wrong, she had smiled and replied: "No. Come here." Haruka of course had obeyed her lover and had put one hand on the rounded belly of Michiru, only to feel the kicking of the baby. "But she most certainly had a calm time now." The blonde pointed out, and Michiru laughed and nodded. "True. Haruka..." "Yes?" Haruka gently replied, stroking her girlfriends hand with her thumb absent-minded. "What do you want to call her?" Michiru softly asked. Haruka paused for a moment before she said: "Hitomi." All of a sudden, hot tears stung in the aqua haired girls eyes, and Haruka feared that she had said the wrong thing. "Michi...? What..." "I'm just so happy." Michiru whispered, sniffling. "Happy that you forgave me...and that we have a daughter now..." "Shht." Haruka whispered, gently putting one arm around Michiru, who now started to cry. "Shht." "I feel so stupid." Michiru sobbed, her tears running own her cheeks like two small rivers. "No need to." Haruka replied, her voice even huskier than usual. When Michiru looked at her lovers face, she knew why. The blonde was almost crying, too; her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "I made you cry again." Michiru mumbled, looking down. "I've done that awfully often during the last nine months..." Haruka shook her head and replied: "Don't think about that now, Love. It's in the past. Let's look forward...into the future." Michiru gave her another weak smile and nodded. "Into a bright future, my One and Only." She then whispered into Harukas ear. "With our daughter...the three of us, a family." "Yes." Haruka whispered back, the tears finally running. "Yes. As a family. I love you, Michiru." "I love you too." Michiru replied, and when the couple sank into a long, gentle kiss, their daughter Hitomi giggled and laughed with delight.

The End.


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